Forest Banks

Last updated
Forest Banks
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Staffordshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Staffordshire
Location Staffordshire
Grid reference SK 120284
Coordinates 52°51′11″N1°49′24″W / 52.852965°N 1.8232432°W / 52.852965; -1.8232432
Area112.7 acres (0.4561 km2; 0.1761 sq mi)
Notification 1968
View towards Forest Banks woodland Pastures at Forest Banks - geograph.org.uk - 2119568.jpg
View towards Forest Banks woodland

Forest Banks is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Staffordshire, England. [1] [2] It is located 3km southwest of Marchington. This protected area comprises three patches of woodland that are within a section of the former Royal Forest of Needwood. This area is protected because the steep slopes of the local topography allows a woodland assemblage that is otherwise uncommon in Staffordshire, and also for the diversity of moths and butterflies.

Contents

Forest Banks SSSI is cited within the Bagots Forest Plan (Bagot's Wood) written by the Forestry Commission. [3]

Biology

Forest Banks SSSI is particularly noteworthy for populations of small-leaved lime ( Tilia cordata ) and large-leaved lime ( Tilia platyphyllos ) coexisting. This site is one of the few localities for native hornbeam in the Midlands. Herbaceous species include bluebell, wood anemone, woodruff, opposite leaved golden-saxifrage and early-purple orchid ( Orchis mascula ). The parasitic plant called toothwort is also found in this protected area. Fern species include oak fern and soft shield fern. [1]

The site supports a diversity of butterflies and moths including scorched wing (Plagodis dolabraria) and waved umber ( Menophra abruptaria ). [1]

Land ownership

Part of the land within Forest Banks SSSI is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "SSSI detail". Naturalengland UK. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  2. ↑ "Protected Planet | Forest Banks". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  3. ↑ "Bagots Forest Plan". Forestry England. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  4. ↑ "Mapping the habitats of England's ten largest institutional landowners". Who owns England?. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2024-10-11.

52°51′11″N1°49′24″W / 52.852965°N 1.8232432°W / 52.852965; -1.8232432

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.